Regional favorites provide yum on a bun

After a season of barbecues and ballgame hot dogs on ketchup-drenched buns, I'm starting to crave a little diversity between the soft folds of a bread roll.

After a season of barbecues and ballgame hot dogs on ketchup-drenched buns, I'm starting to crave a little diversity between the soft folds of a bread roll.

Many regional options are out there:

Philly cheese steak

Invented in South Philadelphia about 1930, the iconic sandwich can be found throughout the East.

Tired of eating hot dogs, local legend has it, Pat and Harry Olivieri -- brothers and owners of a hot-dog stand -- asked a butcher for beef scraps. The two fried the beef alongside onions and stuffed the mixture into rolls.

A passing cabdriver asked to buy their hot, juicy offering, and a culinary classic was born. (By the 1960s, cheese topped the beef -- hence the name "cheese steak.")

What makes a great cheese steak remains a topic of raging debate.

Some swear by cheese; others demand Cheez Whiz, the topping used at Pat's King of Steaks, home of the first cheese steak.

Others banter over the merits of soft vs. crusty Italian rolls.

And the final issue involves tomato sauce on the meat -- or no sauce.

Lobster roll

Not in dispute are the ingredients of a lobster roll.

With cooked chunks of lobster meat mixed with mayonnaise and spooned into a toasted hot dog bun, the cuisine is quintessential New England.

The origins of the lobster roll remain a mystery. Some say it evolved from the lobster salad and the desire to eat the dish by hand.

Po' boy sandwich

Unlike the filling-specific creations of the East, the Louisiana po' boy slips such items as fried shrimp dressed with iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes and mayonnaise, or french fries drenched in gravy, into the opening of a French baguette or submarine roll.

As with the lobster roll, the exact beginnings of the po' boy vary from source to source.

The first po' boy featured potatoes and brown gravy, but popular offerings today include shrimp, fried oysters or hot roast beef with gravy.

The mark of a good po' boy: "The more napkins required, the better the po' boy," said Mike Malloy, a New Orleans resident, real-estate agent and bartender at the Kerry Irish Pub.

Western sandwich

In the West, the aptly named Western -- or Denver -- sandwich needs neither napkin nor crumb tray.

The simple meal consists of an omelet served on a tender roll -- no juices oozing or crumbs cascading onto the plate.

Folklore indicates that Chinese immigrants whipped up this repast for laborers on the transcontinental railroad. They cooked traditional Asian omelets from the eggs, meat and vegetables on hand -- diced ham, green peppers and onions -- and then slapped them on rolls for a filling snack.

PHILADELPHIA CHEESE STEAK

Makes 4 servings

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large white onion, sliced

Pinch of salt

8 ounces of Cheez Whiz or

1/2 pound sliced provolone cheese

1 pound rib-eye steak, thinly sliced

4 crusty hoagie or Italian rolls

Ketchup (optional)

Mayonnaise (optional)

Tomato sauce (optional)

In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and salt. Saute until soft but not browned or translucent. Transfer the onions to a plate.

If using Cheez Whiz, pour the spread into a microwave-safe bowl and heat until melted.

Pour remaining oil into the pan and heat on medium-high. Add the steak. Cook until browned on both sides. Reduce heat to low. If using Provolone, lay the cheese slices over the meat, cover the pan with a lid, and cook until cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes.

Using a spatula, transfer meat and cheese to rolls. Add the onions. (If using Cheez Whiz, pour over the top of the meat and onions). Top with optional condiments, if desired, and serve immediately.

1/2 cup of mayonnaise, green onions and celery. Stir to combine. Add remaining mayonnaise if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Spread the softened butter on the rolls and place the rolls, butter-side down, in the pan. Cook, turning once, until the rolls are golden brown. Remove from the pan, open the rolls and spoon in the lobster salad. Serve immediately.

This recipe is adapted from chef John D. Folse's The Encyclopedia of Cajun and Creole Cuisine.

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

6 half-baguettes or submarine rolls

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1 cup water

2 tablespoons Creole mustard

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

3 cups yellow corn meal

2 tablespoons garlic powder

3 dozen shrimp, peeled, deveined

6 tablespoons ketchup

6 tablespoons cocktail sauce

Dash of Tabasco sauce (optional)

18 thin slices of tomato

2 cups shredded lettuce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Using a home-style deep fryer, heat the recommended amount of oil according to the manufacture's instructions. Alternately, pour 3 to 4 inches of oil into a heavy large pot. Heat to 350 to 375 degrees.

Slice the rolls lengthwise and place them on a cookie sheet, crust down. Place the rolls in the oven, turn off the heat, and allow them to become crispy and warm.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl combine the egg, milk, water, mustards, salt and pepper. In a separate mixing bowl combine the corn meal and garlic powder.

Working in batches, dip the shrimp, in the egg batter and then in the corn meal mixture.

Fry the shrimp 3 minutes or until they float. Skim them off, place them on paper towels to drain. Cover to keep them warm. Repeat this process until all the shrimp are fried.

Remove the rolls from the oven. For each roll, spread cocktail sauce on one interior half and ketchup on the other. Place 3 slices of tomato on the bottom half of each and sprinkle with shredded lettuce. Place the shrimp on top of the lettuce. Splash on a dash of optional Tabasco sauce, cover with the top half of the roll and secure with a toothpick.